Delivery mechanism for printing-machines.



:PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

R. 0. ANNAND. DELIVERY MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES.

APPLIOATIOIT FILED DBO. 3, 1902.

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110,730,857. PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903. R. 0. ANNAND.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES. APBIQIOATION nLnn mm. a, 1002.

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PATENTED JUNE 16, 1903.

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DELIVERY MEGHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES;

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UNITED STATES Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT OUMMING ANNAND, or SOUTH SHIELDS, ENGLAND.

DELIVERY MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters. Patent No. 730,857, dated June16, 1903. Application filed December 3, 1902. Serial No. 133,661. Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT CUMMING AN- NAND, engineer, of Cornwallisstreet, South Shields, in the county of Durham, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in the Delivery Mechanism ofPrinting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the delivery mechanism of printing-machines,and has for its object to provide a delivery mechanism for web-printingmachines which will deliver the sheets singly as they are produced bythe machine and lay them flat on the deliveryboard at a high speedwithout the use of tapes.

The invention is intended to be applied chiefly to machines producinghigh-class work with illustrations, which require such a body of ink intheir production that the sheets cannot be carried by tapes or folded asthey are produced by the machine without smearing or marking the work.

My invention is shown applied in a machine comprising the combination,with a gripping device which seizes and carries a sheet of printed paperby its forward end, of an auxiliary gripping or retarding device whichseizes the following or taileud thereof, grad? ually reducing the speedof the sheet until it is brought to rest over a receiving-table, arotary pressing device which is brought down on the sheet pressing outthe air between the last two sheets and laying each in turn fiat andevenly on the pile of sheets on the table. The said table may be set atany desired angle and may be lowered automatically or by hand as thesheets are deposited.

I will describe how the invention can be applied to a web-printingmachine in which the sheets are cut from the web before they areprinted. When this has been done, it will be readily understood by thoseconversant with the art how the invention could be applied to otherforms of rotary web-printing machines in common use.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part ofa web-printing machine, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through W X and Y Z. Figs. 4. and 5 show thesheet in different positions. Fig. 6 is the vacuum-valve. Fig. 7 is amodified form of rotary flier in which a brush is used instead of thebow-springs shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 4. and .5.

a, and b are stereocylinders.

c and d are impression-cylinders. Immediately below theimpression-cylinder d is disposed a delivery-cylinder 6, preferably ofthe same size as the impression-cylinder d. This cylinder is carried inbearings in the framework of the machine and is driven by gearing at thesame surface speed as the impression-cylinder d. At each end of thedelivery-cylinder and inside the framework of the machine is mounted asprocket-wheel). At a suitable distance and in about the same plane isdisposed an axle it, carried by bearings in the framework, having asprocketwheel at each end thereof which are each in line with one of thetwo sprocket-wheelsf. Stretched'between these two sets of sprocketwheelsare two endless sprocket-chains m and at. These chains carry a series ofgripperbars 0 and grippers 0, extending right across the machine. Thesegripper mechanisms may be termed the leading grippers.

q q are rollers connected with the gripping device and adapted to ooactwith the cams r and s for the purpose of opening and closing thegrippers 19 onto the gripper-bars 0. The delivery-cylinder e is soconstructed with a longitudinal slot 12 in it that as each gripperbar 0and set of grippers U come around they drop into the longitudinal slotand form therewith for the time being a cylinder with gripper mechanismat one part of its surface. The cylinder and gripper mechanism are sotimed that they will transfer the newly-printed sheet 20 from the lastimpression-cylinder to one set of the grippers on the sprocketchain.Below the sprocket-chain is disposed a delivery-table 00, which ispreferably provided with a hinged top or board y and adapted to be setat any convenient angle.

Immediately below the delivery-cylinder e is a gripping device adaptedto revolve at a less peripheral speed than that of thedelivcry-cylinder. One form of gripping device,

which may be termed an auxiliary or following gripper, comprises ahollow shaft or tube 2, carrying a toothed wheel 3. Said hollow shaft isadapted to revolve in bearings disposed on brackets or arms 4, which aresecured to another shaft 5. This shaft 5 passes through a toothed sleeve6, fixed to the frame of the press, and is driven through suitablegearing from the delivery-cylinder e and is adapted to be adjusted so asto vary the distance of the following gripping device from the pointwhere the gripping device on the sprocket-chain comes into operation inorder to suit the length of sheet in use. Between the toothed wheel 3 onthe hollow shaft 2 and the toothed sleeve 6 there is a toothed pinion 7,gearing with the said wheel 3 and sleeve 6. The hollow shaft 2 has aflat side or surface 8,111 which there are a number of small holes9,1eading to the inside of the tube, which comcommunicates through theaxle with a vacuum-chamber. This tube 2 is so geared with the axle 5,about which it revolves, that the fiat part 8 is always in a horizontalposition with the air-holes perpendicular. This device is so timed thatas the tube approaches the delivery-cylinder a valve is openedcommunicating with the vacuum-chamber, creating a vacuum in said tubeand causing it to seize and hold the tail of the sheet w.

Disposed above the delivery-table is a rotaryflier or pressing deviceadapted to descend on the middle of the sheet and press it onto thedelivery-table and to rise again, the operation being timed to operateas a sheet is brought on the table by the leading grippers. One form offlier consists of longhaired brushes 10 or light bow-springs 11, mountedon a shaft 12 and adapted to he slid thereon, so as to press on themargins of the sheets, said shaft carrying a toothed wheel 13. The shafttakes its hearings in arms or brackets 14, mounted upon another shaft15, which passes through a toothed sleeve 16, fixed to the frame of thepress. This shaft carries a sprocket wheel 17 and is adapted to bedriven by an adjustable chain 18, passing around a sprocket-wheeldisposed on the takeoff or delivery cylinder. Between the toothed sleeve16 and the toothed Wheel 13 on the flier-shaft 12 is a toothed pinion20, adapted to gear therewith. The action of the apparatus is such thatwhile the flier revolves the tips of the brushes or the bows of thesprings are made to work up and down in a vertical line. The vacuum inthe tube 2 is controlled by a spring-pressed plunger-valve 21, connectedto a lever 22 and operated by a cam 23.

In operation when the gripper or set of grippers p on thesprocket-chains m 'n has been closed onto the sheet to by cams r,suitably disposed, the sheet is carried thereby around thedelivery-cylinder e until the gripper mechanism carried by the saidsprocketchain leaves the delivery-cylinder 6. The sheet is then carriedover the delivery-table a; in a horizontal manner until. the grippers pp, which may be called leading grippers, are opened by a cam device 3,suitably disposed, whereby the sheet is released. The position of thecams sis adjustable to suit the length of sheet being printed. The sheetis kept pressed against the delivery-cylinder e by springs 24, adaptedto come in contact with the margins of the sheet. At the moment that thesheet is released by the said leading grippers p p the following edge ortail is seized by the tail-gripping device, disposed below thedelivery-cylinder. -As soon as the tail of the sheet has been thuscaught the speed at which the sheet is advancing over the delivery-tableis reduced, While at the same time the tail of the sheet is carrieddownward onto the delivery-table w. When the sheet is brought down ontothe table, the vacuum in the tube 2 is destroyed and the tail of thesheet is released, the position of the tube beingsuch that the sheet isbrought to a dead stop. At the same time the rotary flier descends ontothe middle of the sheet and presses it down onto the pile of sheetsalready delivered. The delivery-board is-so constructed that as the pileof sheets increases it is gradually lowered either automatically or byhand to make room for additional sheets.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In delivery mechanism forprinting-machines the improved auxiliarygripping and pressing devices comprising the combination of a rotatingshaft, arms on said shaft, a perforated tube mounted on said arms andmoving around the shaft with its perforated face always horizontal,connections between the perforated tube and shaft for imparting therequired movement to said perforated tube,

means for connecting the perforated tube to an air-exhausting apparatuswhereby the air in the perforated tube may be exhausted so as to gripand hold the sheets of paper, substantially as set forth.

2. In delivery mechanism for printing-machines the improved auxiliarygripping and pressing devices comprising the combination of a rotatingshaft, arms on said shaft, aperforated tube mounted on said arms andmoving around the shaft with its perforated face always horizontal,connections between the perforated tubeand shaft for imparting therequired movement to said perforated tube, means for connecting theperforated tube to an air-exhausting apparatus whereby the air in theperforated tube may be exhausted so as to grip and hold the sheets ofpaper, a delivery-table onto which the gripper delivers the sheets ofpaper, a shaft located oversaid table, arms on said shaft, a rotatingspindle mounted on said arms, a resilient pressing device mounted onsaid spindle, means for I In witness whereof I have hereunto signedactuating said resilient pressing device from my name in the presence oftwo subscribing the shaft above the table so that the pressingwitnesses.

device moves to and from the table as the ROBERT OUMMING ANNAND. 5 shaftrotates and as the sheets are delivered Witnesses:

thereonto by the gripper, substantially as set ROBERT M. SPEARPOINT,

forth. W. M. HARRIS.

